Atmel has entered the Cortex-M0+ microcontroller arena. These look like the highest performance ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontrollers.
Atmel boasts 8-bit simplicity with 16-bit performance.
Article shows a family overview and a useful block diagram.
Bill Giovino Executive Editor
Really, 586 page data sheet is 'simplicity' and they only think a M0 is 16-bit performance ?
16-bit performance ?
LOL, the M4 family has over 1,000 pages !!
M0 is 32-bits, 16 x 2 = 32 M4 is 32-bits, 586 x 2 = 1,272
works for me ;-)
Not very far from truth: The SAM4 data sheet (Cortex M4) is 1111 pages.
That phrase does not appear in Atmel's press release, nor in the introductory article published on Atmel's website. And just for comparison, the ATmega168PA series datasheet is 660 pages, so the D20 is provably some 11% simpler.
As a side note, I like the new look of Atmel's datasheets. There's colour, more diagrams and a more relaxed layout. It doesn't feel like a scanned-in paper anymore.
-a
Seems the OP made his own spin, in that rather mangled claim then ?
I think he was just paraphrasing the article...
"According to Atmel this is makes the SAMD20 the highest performing Cortex-M0+ to date."
microcontroller.com is in the business of getting people to read their stuff, a bit of sensationalism helps in that department and makes the advertisers happy.
highest performance ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontrollers.
I received the following link in a Google alert yesterday:
It looks like they have done a very nice job on this :o) [although I have not had a chance to try it yet as I'm busy on releasing support for Cortex-A9 today - I will get onto it right afterwards]
Regards, Richard.
Thank you, I needed a laugh today. This provided it: "Quote from an Important Person" "Atmel's global leadership in MCUs ...
The phrase was in Atmel's promotional material. I have removed the phrase from the article.
Are the parts 5-Volt tolerant? I have looked through the documentation and didn't see it mentioned.
If they do not mention it, usually that means no.
Still, the number of vendors who offer not only 5V tolerant, but also 5V operating M0's is increasing rapidly, Infineon, Nuvoton, ABOV, Holtek, Fujitsu (etc), so that means more choice.
Notice how the USA vendors seem to be the slowest to grasp this ?
Answer I got back is no, the I/O is not 5-Volt tolerant.
Shame, relegates an otherwise attractive part, back into the 'also rans'.
I've updated the article to reflect that the I/O are not 5V tolerant.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required